That Lethal Cloud
“I explore nuclear explosions as cultural, historical, and iconic symbols. Referencing the scale, beauty, and abhorrent nature of the atom bomb, I delve into the periphery of the subject—the myths, characters, and surrounding evidence. I work across a wide range of media, from vast oil paintings, tapestries, projections, and audioscapes to delicate paintings on glass and ceramics that you could hold in your hand.
Scale is an important aspect of my practice. For instance, in the painting ‘Charlie,’ each square inch of linen represents 4 tons of TNT—which, in turn, is the unit of measurement used to signify the yield of the explosion. These large paintings aim to confront the viewer with an all-consuming landscape. If they inspect them up close, for a moment in time, this is all they can see.
I’m fascinated by the beauty and awe of the landscape—the dust, the glow, the force of the explosion. In this master plan to kill ourselves off, we’ve shown ourselves the end.”